Table-topping Huddersfield out to make amends in Super League

I write this week's blog with a sense of deja vu in hailing Huddersfield's early-season pace-setting prowess.

The Giants always start well so perhaps we should not be surprised that they sit at the
Super League summit

Yet to concede just 10 points in the first 160 minutes of the season, half of which was away at St Helens, is some effort.

This could change quickly of course, with Wigan in town next, but Huddersfield have got heads turning in February again.

“Steve McNamara is monitoring Lunt's form as he looks at his England options in World Cup year”

"We always do well at the start of the season but it feels like this year is going to be different," Shaun Lunt told me when I called him on his way to Monday's club video review and massage session.

The hooker is Huddersfield's leading scorer this year with three tries in his first two games. He is back at the Giants after falling out of favour last season and moving to Leeds where he ended up a Grand Final winner.

He left in April, a month through which Huddersfield went unbeaten at the top of the table. One win in two months followed and an alarming slump to seventh. Coach Nathan Brown left for St Helens, Paul Anderson took over.

Lunt's is an intriguing story. Is he now happy to be back at Huddersfield after what he achieved at Leeds? What has changed at the Giants since his time away? And why is he adamant things will be different this year?

"Things will be different because we've got a good balance now," he says. I ask what that means.

"Well, we never got a break last year. Without pointing the finger at anyone, we didn't get maintained properly throughout a long season.

"It's not for me to have a go at anyone but things have improved in that respect. I learned at Leeds that after a tough game it doesn't help to be flogged in training the next week. You need a nice easy week to allow the body to recover.

"We are starting to do that at Huddersfield now and we are already seeing the benefits."

Lunt talks of a new "less is more" culture at Huddersfield where rest is best.

"Last season we would have a tough game and then still do our fitness work whether our bodies were knackered or not. It was detrimental," he said.

The 25-year-old feels this overload of fitness work between games contributed to player burnout towards the end of the season, and that manifested itself in poor results on the pitch.

Not that the England man was suffering such a fate. On the contrary, Lunt was making a name for himself at Headingley and achieving a lifetime dream of playing in, and winning, a Grand Final at Old Trafford.

He tells me he was desperate to stay at Leeds
but the Giants had other ideas.
"I wanted to stay at Leeds, who wouldn't? I won the Grand Final and I wanted to stay on for the World Club Challenge.

"That was nothing to do with Huddersfield or anyone here, I just had such a great time at Leeds. But I'm loving it back here now and I think that's showing on the field."

Shaun Lunt's clubs so far

05-06 Castleford

06-08 Workington Town

09-12 Huddersfield

2012 - Leeds (loan)

2013 - Huddersfield

It is indeed, and coach Steve McNamara is monitoring Lunt's form as he looks at his England options in World Cup year.

Lunt says his time at Leeds brought him on as a person and player, learning daily from Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock. Both rubbed off on his approach to playing the game.

"Coming back to Huddersfield, I didn't expect it to be as good as it has been to be honest. I'm getting a lot more respect off people having proved myself at Leeds.

"Baloo (coach Paul Anderson) has been fantastic. He totally understood my situation. I explained what I want to achieve, and he took it on the chin and took it well.

"He gave me his word that I'd be treated properly here this year and he's been true to his word and is encouraging me to play my game the way I like to play it."

The arrival of another experienced head at Huddersfield appears to be making a difference too. Stuart Fielden is in the twilight of his career with a wealth of Grand Final and Challenge Cup-winning experience to pass on.

"My success at Leeds has made me hungrier than ever to taste it again and I want my mates here to share it too," says Lunt. "Fielden has tasted it too so he's come in and is trying to let that rub off on the lads".

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Comments

Oh so negative, what other sport has 5 potential winners? Six if you believe Huddersfield have a chance, certainly top six & if their young uns perform then top 4 is a real possibility. Talking of local players, Hull should and must produce more players, big city, loads of players, where are they? Not a problem at Wigan, we seem to be producing players for the whole RL and seemingly England RU.

Any team that wants continued success has to have a top class system which finds and develops local talent. Hull, for example, are light years behind and need to learn that expensive signings need to be suplemented with local talent. Here's a topic for discussion: What has happened to the Rugby League player who comes from Hull? Off the top of my head there's Jon Wilkin and Ian Kirke.

Well considering the "most open Sooooooperdoooooooper league ever" again (YAWN) final will be between 2 from Leeds, Wigan, Warrington, Saints and as a dark horse Catalans, whatever the rest of the clbs do is insignificant.A bit like Celtic in the SPL, and ManUtd, Man City Liverpool along with Arsenal in the boring premiershipEveryone else is making up the numbers.

Huddersfield could be the real deal this year under Anderson. Wigan on Saturday will be a test but if their big forward pack keep rolling forward, there is plenty of skill and finishing power in that backline for the Giants to do very well.

Shaun Lunt is a quality hooker; a toss up between him, Roby and Burrow for England this year.

Personal I believe that for the Gaint's to become one of the big clubs they have to get the attendance up. The attendance is needed to be the 18th man and to get on the back of the ref and the visiting team when times are hard. This is stating the obvious but it's true. I would love for Huddersfeild to become a big time as it is the home of rugby league but I can't see it happing.

Good article, interesting stuff. Not 100% convinced that there's enough footballing ability in the three quarters at Hudds to win the big games, and not sure if the halves can put a whole season together but looking good for them this year.

Lunt and Fielden are excellent signings and should make a real difference to Giants this year. Good luck to Paul Anderson after a difficult start to his coaching career when Giants imploded in the second half of last season. Sides like Wigan and Warrington will provide a much sterner test but hope the Wigan v Giants match is another cracker.

I always say that Rugby League is about smashers and dashers and the Giants this year have both in abundance. Their forward pack is absolutely huge and with naturally gifted players in Brough, Cudjoe and Luke Robinson they have a great chance this year and be nice to see a new name on the trophy!

Yes, Wigan at the weekend will be interesting. Big E is quite a player, so is Danny B, some top local youngsters in McG as well. However, let's wait and see what the pie machine throws at them. 9 home grown players in last weeks side, how it should be. Wigan by 10

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